HE BEHREND BEACON
Dogma: it ain't your mother's religion
by Deanna Symoski
features editor
I have a theory you business ma
jors might find interesting: instead
of asking your future advertising
department to create ninety-second
promos on a topic to which no one
is currently paying any attention,
encourage upper management to
do something gutsy, something
ballsy, something the average God
fearing American would find ut
terly outrageous, and let the media
sell your product for you. It's
called controversy, people, and it
just made Kevin Smith a house
hold name.
I went to see Dogma for two rea
sons. No, not Ben Affleck and
Matt Damon. Well, okay, Matt
Damon was one, but the other more
substantial reason was the hype.
Any movie that can prompt a re
sistance league to harness the me
dia like a bucking bronco had to
have something interesting to say.
And while I won't preach any take
home messages, Dogma makes an
intelligent and entertaining attempt
at restoring honest faith in the
midst of a pre-millennium blitz of
fanatical evangelism.
It goes like this: rebellious an
gels, Loki and Bartleby ( Damon
and Affleck, respectively) were
bounced out of I leaven quite some
years ago because Bartlehy con
vinces his buddy. who also happens
to be the Angel of Death, that kill
ing, even in God's name, is not
right. The pair presents God with
their conundrum, hut for their in
subordination, they are banished
for eternity to Wisconsin. We meet
up with the mischievous angels in
a Wisconsin airport just as Loki is
convincing a nun that there is no
God...just for kicks.
Meanwhile, the Catholic church
has decided they need a new, more
The Studio Theatre at Penn State Behrend presents Teibele and Her Demon, a play by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Three performances still remain on November 19 and 20 at 8 p.m., and at 2:30 p.m. on November 21. For tickets.
call the box office at 898-6016. Above, Beadle Leib, played by freshman Rob Keams, assists the Rabbi, played
by junior Matt Parson. Don't miss this tale of dark mystery and passion now playing at the Studio Theatre.
Hangin' Around with This Desert Life
by Michael Frawley
managing editor
Well, all of you Counting Crows fans
out there can breathe a collective sigh
of relief. After waiting for three years
they have offered up their newest al
bum, This Desert Life. And trust me,
you won't be disappointed by what you
hear.
Adam Duritz, the brilliant lead singer
of the group, took this album in a new
direction. This Desert Life is much less
heavy-handed than either of their other
releases, August and Everything After
(1993) and Recovering the Satellites
(1996). In these first two recordings,
Adam showed himself to be a very deep
and brooding person concerned about
his new-found fame and what the fu
ture held for him. This Desert Life,
while nor a happy-go-lucky album,
showed the band having a good time
recording this one. Duritz said, "I don't
sit around moping all day long." And
this album goes a long way to prove it.
The first single off of This Desert Life
user-friendly approach to recruit
ment, so a New Jersey Cardinal,
played by George Carlin. (you can
double check, but I think this is the
exact definition of irony), revamps
the religion by launching "Catholi
cism Wow!"- the movement re
sponsible for, among other things,
exchanging the crucifix for the
Crumbling in the face
by Deanna Symoski
features editor
What if Congress passed a law
that ensured that everyone was just
like you? Everyone thought like
you, looked like you and believed
what you believe. Would this make
you happy? Would this be your Uto
pia? If you were part of the Catho
lic League of Religious and Civil
Rights, it might be.
At least that's the message I got
after reading an article in USA To
day recently, which explained the
new protesting strategy of the
league, which is basically to descend
on the media with reckless abandon.
What, you might ask, could cause
such a fuss? Y2K? War? Famine?
Nuclear destruction? Nope. It's a
movie, of course.
Dogma, the new Kevin Smith
film, was aware of its controversial
subject matter from the beginning
Don't, for a second, think that the
"Buddy Christ," a six-foot icon that
winks and gives the thumbs-up.
But with the new doctrine, a loop
hole opens up for the angels to get
hack into Heaven, thereby disprov
ing the infallibility of God. And
since life as we know it just hap
pens to be based on this one truth,
was "Hangin' Around." The video for
this song was filmed in the living room
of the house in Hollywood where the
entire album was recorded. This upbeat
offering has to be considered one of
Counting Crows' greatest songs. This
kick off to the new album sets the stage
for the rest of the album. Duritz says,
"I've been bummin' around this town
for way too long." As This Desert Life
is Duritz's venture into a new part of
his life.
FEATURES
the reentrance of Loki and
Bartleby would wipe out existence
forever. It is up to Bethany (Linda
Fiorentino), an abortion clinic
employee who's lost her faith, to
save all of mankind and keep the
angels from getting home. (This,
I believe, is the second definition
of irony.)
creators of this film were ignorant to
the consequences of putting it out,
but for "Buddy Christ's" sake, at least
they had the balls to do it. Which is
more than Smith can say for Disney.
See, originally Dogma belonged to
Miramax films, which is a subsidiary
of the Disney Corporation. InApril,
Bob and Harvey Weinstein (cofound
ers of Miramax), apparently nervous
that Disney might shelf the movie
because of inevitable protest, bought
the film personally and eventually re
leased it through Lions Gate Pictures.
The problem as Smith sees it is sim
ply this: "Disney positions itself as
family-oriented. Disney is every
where and you can definitely strike
at them by boycotting the theme
parks or cancelling subscriptions to
the Disney Channel."
Josh Chetwynd, LISA Today re
porter, goes on to say that "Other stu
dios are in similar situations. Be
cause they are parts of huge con
glomerates that have broader inter
I won't reveal any more about
the plot simply because it is so in
volved that giving it away some
would require giving away all of
it, and this film is too enjoyable to
watch to have the fun spoiled here.
Rather, I'll tell you that Dogma
does more to reaffirm faith—any
Many people consider Counting
Crows to be too dark and depressing,
but all of their songs carry a deeper
meaning that many people can get
something out of. And while there is a
more upbeat sound to This Desert Life,
it still has its traditional Counting
Crows quota of Duritz's depressed
view on life.
The Crows have just started to tour
to promote this record. This tour,
called This Desert Life - The Millen
nium Tour, will be playing various cit
ies in the area though the end of No
vember, such as the Cleveland Music
Hall on November 21. And for those
of you who have never attended a
Counting Crows concert, it is an ex
perience that you really should take
advantage of. Adam Duritz has such a
stage presence that you feel like a part
of the band.
.This Desert Life is an album that is
well worth your time to listen to, which
almost anyone will be able to find
something in it to identify with.
NOVEMBER 19, 1999
faith—than a Billy Graham mara
thon. Yes, it questions everything
from Christ's last thoughts to the
gender of God, but these aren't at
tacks. They are the fuel that causes
us to defend what we believe,
whatever we believe, and come out
stronger for it. They also serve as
commentary, not so much about
ests to protect, most studios have be
come skittish about controversial
films." So does this mean that we are
condemned to historically inaccurate
animation flicks? Not exactly.
There is a saving grace in Holly
wood called the independent studio.
They are the ones who have not been
merged with larger corporations and
have the freedom to release just about
anything they choose because, fortu
nately for us, they don't have restau
rants and theme parks to think about.
They have the luxury, and, it seems,
the emerging duty, of remaining faith
ful to the artistry of filmmaking. They
understand that the best movie isn't
necessarily the one that every special
interests group in the country ap
proves of. And they don't care.
After all, what would this country
be like in that Utopia of oneness? No
debates, no questions, only the weak
minded followers of one doctrine.
Films like Dogma that are ripe with
controversy are the meat of conver
religion, but of the catastrophe we
have made out it.
Director Kevin Smith has
scripted a brilliant comedy, ripe
with the humor of Mallrats and the
heart of, well, I don't think we've
ever seen Kevin Smith's heart un
til now. He has a knack for treat-
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ing serious moments with the com
passion they deserve, yet has the
good sense not to play solely on
our emotions. We like the charac
ters first because they entertain us,
and for that, we allow them to
touch us.
And the characters, too, are in
genious. What I initially thought
of controversy
sation. We form opinions based on
these conversations because rarely do
we know what we think until we see
what we say. If every film conformed
to a regimen of docile sugarcoating,
what good would films be? Unlike
most other forms of the media, film
has the amazing capacity to inspire,
outrage and touch us. That film com
panies like Disney would have the au
dacity to take that away from us is
appalling. If you're so afraid to make
movies, guys, get out of the business.
Mickey's making you enough money
without you having to jeopardize the
whole industry.
And I question the very logic of the
Catholic League itself. They protest
Dogma which humorously reafirms
faith, yet Chasing Any is okay. I get
it. Gratuitous explanations of lesbian
sex are permissible, but the moment
Kevin Smith makes a movie with ac
tual substance. you protest. What is
this supposed to do for the quality of
future films? ("Hey all you talented
would he a messy play for screen
time, turns out to be a well-bal
anced ensemble cast. There is
Selma Hayak as Muse; Chris Rock
as Rufus, the thirteenth Apostle
who says he was omitted from the
Bible because he's black; Jay and
Silent Bob who are a staple of any
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Kevin Smith film; and Alanis
Morissette. I won't tell you who
she plays because I wouldn't want
to rob the person in the seat next to
you of the expression on your face
when you find out.
Together, all these elements cre
atively turn out a film that is actu
ally worth the cost of a movie ticket
young directors out there, keep ped
dling stupid frivolity, the studios
won't let us release anything sub
stantial because they might catch
some heat. - So what!)
If no one ever crossed a line, we
would never know what was on the
other side of it. We would ne ier
grow, we would scarcely think, and
we would die having never under
stood what we really thought about
anything. This is not my Utopia.
Thankfully, this is not even real life.
But it could be someday if the
money-hungry suits in the movie
business don't get their acts to
gether. The media and the power to
be heard are gifts, ladies and gentle
men, so grow some moxy and give
the average movie-goer a film that's
worth their while. Stand up in the
face of protest, because I gotta tell
ya', you'll he losing your bottom
line to the indies if you do. And even
Mickey couldn't save you then.
these clays, and there are few mov
ies lately that are worth that.
Dogma is a film that makes us
think about, question and defend
our beliefs, all the while engaging
us in sharp witticism. Thinking.
laughing and Matt Damon? The
Oscar race has officially begun!!
..., ~~.
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